


Three Tasks

by SilverMidnight



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-06 19:59:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14064456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverMidnight/pseuds/SilverMidnight
Summary: When Bruce is locked out of the labs because he hasn’t been taking care of himself he must do three tasks or wait a full week to get them open again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist writing another Avengers fic. Of course with Bruce. He's too cute not to write about!
> 
> If you want to be kept up to date with any upcoming stories or want to ask me to write a story for you please follow me on Facebook or on Tumblr under SilverMidnight52! I own nothing.

Groaning softly Bruce rolled over in his bed for what felt like the hundredth time since he laid down. One would think that laying in a bed that was Tony Stark approved would make it comfortable. That was very much not the case.

He had been laying there for… Honestly he didn't know how long and he did not want to put his glasses on so he could read the clock. All he wanted to do was get a few hours of sleep and get back down to the labs.

The results for a test that he and Tony had been running for the past few days were finally done and they could be working on the second part of the experiment. If not for the fact that they had both been locked out.

He had been shocked and a little scared when all the screens in the lab went black and Jarvis announced that everything had been saved. The AI was probably the most sophisticated computers in the world, if someone was breaking in they had to be powerful.

Instantly Bruce was wondering if Ross was coming after him once more. It wasn't as if he didn't think that was going to happen one day. The man would stop at nothing to get him and Hulk back in his grasp.

Then his mind went to the enemies that Tony had made. Which were quite a few and some of them were almost as smart as the engineer was. It wasn't hard to believe that any of them were try to get into the building.

After that he had to think about everyone that would be after the rest of the Avengers. He had tried to point out the fact that having all of them living under one roof had made it easy for people to attack them, but he had been over ruled.

As he stood there trying to figure out whether or not Hulk was going to be let out that day he heard Tony cursing under his breath beside him. The Other Guy growled in the back of his mind ready for whatever was coming.

Looking around he waited anxiously for whomever was coming to attack. That was when he finally looked at the other man. Tony was glaring (pouting) at the computer screen as if it had betrayed him. Which it kind of did.

Apparently Pepper had somehow convinced him, Tony swore there was a threat of no sex involved, to put a lock on the labs. It was just a little insurance that stopped not just Tony, but all of the scientists from working themselves too hard.

At least that's what Tony said. Bruce was sure that it was for when the engineer stayed there too long and ignored everything else he was supposed to do. Like eating and bathing. It was Pepper's way of getting him to take care of himself.

It was a good idea. The other man stayed in the lab for days at a time not paying attention to any of his needs sometimes. He had seen it happen more than once. Mostly because he was usually right beside his friend doing the exact same thing.

Against his better judgment he had tried to argue with the woman so she would lift the rule for him. She had practically laughed in his face. According to her, and Jarvis, he took worse care of himself than Tony did. She refused to help him slowly kill himself.

Bruce had wanted to fight her and say that he had been taking care of himself longer than she had been alive, but it was Pepper Potts. Before he could even open his mouth she was leveling him a glare at him.

Suddenly he understood perfectly why his friend not only gave her power over the company but fell in love with her. She was perfectly powerful and poised enough that there was no question that they were going to do exactly what she said before they got what they wanted.

So, that left him with two options. Either he would complete three, fairly simple, tasks and get the labs open again or wait a full week for the lock down to be over. It really shouldn't be that hard of a decision to make. Yet he really wasn't sure what he was going to do.

At first he had thought that he'd just do the tasks and that would be that. It was just doing a little self-care. That couldn't be that hard to do. Also, the woman was reasonable. She knew both he and Tony well enough not to ask for miracles. Then he heard the tasks.

The first one sounded easy enough. Despite the fact that he was currently failing at it. Get five hours of sleep. It didn't even have to be all at once, though it would be if he ever fell asleep. Staying up for 80 hours did that to a person.

The problem wasn't staying asleep. It was falling asleep. His mind was still in science mode and it wasn't as if he could just shut it off. Especially since he still had ongoing experiments that he could be working on. Sleep was not easy.

The next task was getting out of the building for two hours. That, again, sounded a lot easier than it was. It was just two hours and in a city like New York it wasn't as if there was nothing to go out and do.

He even knew that there was a fairly quiet little park a ten minute walk from the building. He had told himself that he was going to go down and walk through it the next time he had some free time on his hand. Which he now did.

It wasn't as if he disliked being outside. He actually preferred it. He liked hearing the birds chirping and watching the wind rustle leaves. He even knew how to identify most flowers just by sight. That wasn't an issue. People were.

When he went out he wanted to go somewhere peaceful. Where he didn't have to think about anything other than the sights he was seeing. He did not want to listen to people yelling about nothing over the phones or cursing at each other for whatever reason.

That brought him to the last task. Going to get something to eat with another person. That was not one that he was looking forward to trying to navigate. He wasn't even sure who he was supposed to ask to join him!

He wasn't a social creature in any way, shape, or form. At least not anymore. It had been a long time since he spent any real one on one time with a person and that was what the goal of the dinner would be.

It would be him and someone else sitting in a restaurant. Talking. How was that supposed to sound like a good idea? He could point out so many flaws in that plan and he… He hated being out of his comfort zone like that.

All of those things brought him to where he was right then. Laying in his bed in his underwear wondering if he could stay there for a week so he could get back to what he was doing. It sounded a lot easier than anything else that was on the list.

Rolling over once more so he was laying on his back Bruce sighed and shut his eyes once more letting himself think about whatever that came to mind. He expected thoughts to come pouring in. Instead he was greeted with a static that he hated.

"Bruce!" Tony's voice suddenly rang out along with banging on the door, "I know you're not sleeping in there. Let me in."

"Not moving," the man muttered rolling onto his stomach to bury his head in his pillow.

"I can open the door if you'd like, Dr. Banner," Jarvis offered as the banging continued.

"He won't give up until he gets in, will he?"

"Past experience says he will only get louder if ignored."

"I heard that!" Tony yelled out, "You two are so cruel to me!"

Shaking his head Bruce let out a soft chuckle before telling the AI to let the other man in. A moment later Tony was dropping onto the bed hard enough to cause him to bounce. Taking his head out of his pillow he glared at his smirking friend.

"Love the Bruce burrito look you have going on," Tony snarked motioning at him with his hand.

"What do you want, Tony?" he questioned continuing to glare.

"Can't I come see my science bro without having an alternative motive?"

"I don't think you can do anything without an alternative motive."

"Wounded!"

Rolling his eyes Bruce laid there watching as his friend stood up and climbed under the blankets beside him. A part of him wanted to argue, but then he noticed the way the man was dressed. Obviously he had been about to go to bed himself.

Deciding that it wasn't worth it he rolled onto his side and waited as Tony got comfortable. It took a moment before the engineer was smiling down at him like he had just won something. Considering he hadn't kicked him out he might have won.

"Pepper is having the bathroom redone and I forgot," Tony finally offered after a moment of silence.

"Can't sleep with that going on," Bruce agreed calmly.

"Couldn't sleep even without that going on. Sleep is the natural enemy of scientists."

"Really?"

"You're not sleeping either, Scientist, so I'm not wrong."

"Sounds like you've spent a lot of time thinking about this."

"There might have been a few conversations between me and Pepper about sleeping habits."

"A few?"

"Shut up."

Shaking his head Bruce let out a sigh and rolled onto his back once more. A comfortable silence fell between them as they both got lost in their thoughts. At least Tony was probably thinking Bruce's brain had gone silent.

Well, not exactly silent. It was more like his mind was filled with static. Which was good for sleep. Or it would be good if he was tired at all. You'd think after close to eighty hours with no sleep he'd be at least a little tired.

That was the last thing that he felt though. So even if he wanted to sleep he couldn't. Which was pretty sad. It also, possibly, added a little credence to Tony's argument that sleep and scientists were enemies. Not that he was going to tell the other man that.

"Please, tell me you're not sleeping," Tony questioned barely over a whisper as if he thought Bruce might be.

"Not even close," he sighed moving around so he was propped against the headboard with some pillows.

"Good. Jarvis, play that show I was recording."

"What show?"

"I don't remember what it's called. It's about Tesla though."

"Nikola Tesla?"

"The one and only."

"Play it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist writing another Avengers fic. Of course with Bruce. He's too cute not to write about!
> 
> If you want to be kept up to date with any upcoming stories or want to ask me to write a story for you please follow me on Facebook or on Tumblr under SilverMidnight52! I own nothing.

Dropping onto the couch Bruce sleepily ran a hand over his face trying to bite back a yawn. He suddenly felt more tired than he had in awhile. Which was odd since he had been wide awake when he was in his room with Tony.

Though that probably had more to do with the show that they had been watching. There was just something about Tesla that neither of them could resist. As stated by the fact they watched all ten episodes. That sounded a lot better than saying they watched tv for ten hours straight.

He really wished that the show had been less interesting. When Tony had started to play it he had actually thought that maybe they'd fall asleep halfway through the first episode and that would be that.

Instead the two men had laid there paying attention to every single detail. They had even paused the episodes once or twice so they could talk about their own theories about what happened to the scientist.

Which left them both feeling absolutely exhausted and too wound up to even fall asleep. At least that's how he felt. His mind had been static before, but now it was filled to the brim with experiments that would make no sense when he was well rested.

Not that that had stopped either him or Tony from telling Jarvis to take down what they were saying. That was going to come back to bite them in the ass later. For now though all they wanted to do was sleep.

Tony had ended up stumbling out of his room a few minutes ago claiming that he was going to kick annoying builders out if he had to. That probably would be funny to watch. Nothing like a sleepy Tony Stark to terrify poor builders.

Bruce doubted that that was going to happen though. Mostly because the sun had set awhile back. He wasn't exactly sure when, he wasn't even sure what time it was, but he knew that it was officially the middle of the night.

Once the other man had left Bruce had decided that he needed to have some tea and get something into his stomach before he slept. Just a little snack while he attempted to get his mind to slow down enough to sleep.

Watching a scientific show before going to bed had not been the best idea. It was times like this that he realized just how much of an idiot he could be. He should have been calming himself down not thinking about new things to do in the lab.

He had gotten to the living room before he felt too tired to move anymore. His stomach was rumbling angrily at him to get food, but he was done. The lack of sleep had finally caught up with him and if the couch hadn't been there he probably would have just laid on the ground and slept.

After being on the run as long as he had he was fairly good at knowing how long he could got without eating or sleeping. It wasn't the best thing for him, but it was also something that was unavoidable sometimes.

He didn't have to continue to do that now that he was living in the tower, but that didn't stop him. It was just so nice to be working in a real lab again. All he wanted to do was stay down there and catch up on everything that he had been missing while on the run.

It was also completely stupid of him, not to mention dangerous, and he should know better. Which he actually might know… Except for the fact that he was so drained that he couldn't think straight.

Shutting his eyes he leaned his head on the back of the couch. A part of him was pointing out just how dangerous it was to fall asleep in the middle of the living room. Anyone could walk in and see him in such a vulnerable position. That was the last thing that he wanted to be.

He couldn't bring himself to care about that logic though. Even if there was any danger to him sleeping there he was too tired to do anything about it. Unless something did come after him he wasn't going to be gong anywhere.

With a loud yawn he dropped down so he was laying fully. A happy moan fell from his lips at the sudden heavenly comfort of the couch. It felt nicer than his bed had earlier. His last thought was wondering if anyone would notice if the couch disappeared into his room.

"I can be quiet," a voice argued by his feet causing the world to sadly come back to him, "I'm like the best at being quiet, Natasha."

It took him a second to realize that that had been Clint's voice. It was more of a pout than him telling her off, but he knew that that wasn't what the archer would say happened if the story ever came up in conversation.

Hearing no reply Bruce knew that the spy was simply giving the man one of her looks. It was normally Clint or Tony that were on the other end of those looks, but he had had one or two shot his way. They were never not scary.

That was the thing about Natasha though. She was both the scariest and the sweetest person that he knew. As long as you were on her good side than you were only slightly likely to get your ass handed to you on a silver platter. It was rather nice.

Shuffling slightly to get into a better position he heard Clint mutter an 'Aw, Bruce'. If he was more awake than he was he would have questioned that. Instead he laid there silently listening to the world around him.

Based off the shuffling of feet further away he knew that it wasn't just the agents that were awake and moving around. Which was pretty odd for the time it was. Why would everyone suddenly awake in the middle of the night?

"Did I miss a call?" Bruce questioned not bothering to open his eyes.

"No," Natasha said even as Clint let out a huff letting him know the woman had elbowed him in the side, "There's no reason for you to be awake."

"Then why am I?"

"Clint's shows are on."

"At two in the morning?"

"It's noon."

It took a second for him to process the words that the woman said, but all too soon he was blinking his eyes open and instantly regretting it. The sun was brightly lighting up the whole room. Why did the human race have to need the sun to survive? Why did that have to be a thing?

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Bruce asked as he sat up letting his neck and back pop back into place.

"Cap threatened extra training if we woke you up," Clint offered falling onto the couch next to him and reaching for the remote.

"And you woke him up anyway," Natasha replied calmly sitting on the other side.

"We don't know that. Maybe he just woke up."

"As soon as you started to talk?"

"Still don't know it was me. He could have heard you walk into the room. Good the show hasn't started yet."

"What show?" Bruce wondered out loud squinting at the tv.

"Soap opera Clint's obsessed with," the spy stated grabbing a blanket and tossing it over all three of their laps.

"Shh," Clint hissed waving his hand at them while his eyes were glued to the screen, "Anya is about to tell Jeremy that she slept with his mother."

"Rosalee is beautiful," Natasha admitted watching just as intently.

"Beautiful enough to ruin a six year marriage? Maybe. She still had sex with her daughter-in-law though. No mother of the year award there."

"Why are we watching this again?" Bruce asked in confusion as the intro started to play.

"Because I need to know if James, Anya's 'twin brother', finds out that their mother, Leigh, is actually the woman that kidnapped them and that Anya found out about it when they were younger, but didn't tell anyone. Instead she used it against Leigh so that she would pay her to be quiet. Leigh stopped paying recently."

"I… I honestly don't know how to respond to that."

"Just enjoy. And, you know, shh."

Shaking his head Bruce stared at the tv not quite seeing what was going on, but enjoying it nonetheless. It had been years since he had watched a soap opera. They were just as ridiculous as they had been before.

Though that could have something to do with Natasha leaning over every once in awhile to fill him in on certain plot points. Or the fact that Clint kept yelling at the people like they could hear him. They were both much more entertaining than the show itself.

A content smile came to his lips as he sat there watching the scenes play out. He barely noticed himself yawn as the warmth surrounding him started to lull him to sleep. It wasn't until he was leaning against a warm body as another cuddled into his back that he realized what was going on.

Beside him he could hear both the agents talking to each other. They had lowered their voices so he knew they were paying attention, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He really had missed cuddling like this.

It was so peaceful to be completely encased with the warmth of another body, or two. Without thinking he moved closer to the body in front of him resting his head on the strong back while the body behind him pressed in even tighter. For the first time in awhile he fell asleep without a thought in his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist writing another Avengers fic. Of course with Bruce. He's too cute not to write about!
> 
> If you want to be kept up to date with any upcoming stories or want to ask me to write a story for you please follow me on Facebook or on Tumblr under SilverMidnight52! I own nothing.

Chuckling under his breath Bruce left the living room just as Clint's yells were muffled with a pillow. Apparently Natasha only had so much patience for Clint's yelling at the television. She had handled it well through the soap opera, but not through the game show.

At least that's what he was assuming. He had fallen back asleep before he had gotten through one show. Clint had been right in a way. It wasn't the fact that he was loud that woke him up. It was him bouncing in his seat whisper yelling threats at the contests that woke him up.

From the way he had looked he had started in as soon as the next show began. The physicist didn't think anyone could get that into a game show. Clint did like to prove him wrong more often than not.

It had actually been pretty funny to watch the younger man try to keep himself in check so he didn't wake him up. He had gotten to simply watch the archer for a moment before Natasha ended up joining in on the fun.

She wasn't a forgiving person when she was annoyed. If he had to guess she had noticed when he woke up and decided that she could finally do something to shut the other man up. At least that's what he had to figure by the scene of her quite literally suffocating the man.

At first he had wanted to do something to help one of them, but he decided to back off instead. He knew better than to question the relationship they had. It was just one of the things that was known. The Earth revolved around the Sun. Tony was going to make something explode. Natasha and Clint were insane. Known facts.

"Oh no," a voice rang out just as Bruce walked into the kitchen and was hit with a wave of smoke.

"Steve?" Bruce asked coughing into his elbow as he looked around trying to figure out what happened.

"I've got it.."

Blinking a few times he watched the super soldier pick up a smoking pan and carry it to the sink. He quickly dumped its contents inside and set it to the side on a pot holder. He stood there for a second longer before sighing and falling into a seat at the table.

There was such a look of disappointment at the now burnt food. It was one of the looks that everyone on the team did their best to make sure never happened. How Captain America looked so much like a puppy was beyond him, but he did.

Moving forward Bruce looked at the food trying to figure out what it was supposed to be and if it could be salvaged in any way. Everything seemed to be burnt to a crisp though. Which made no sense.

Normally Steve was an excellent cook. It was something they and Clint had bonded on early. Just like everyone else bonded on getting them to cook for the team. Him messing up badly enough to ruin a dish was concerning to say the least.

Turning around Bruce opened his mouth to ask what had happened when he caught the look on the man's face. It was just wrong having Steve sit at a table and bury his face in his hands. He looked like he was trying to curl in on himself.

Not knowing what else to do the scientist started to clean up the mess that had been made while Steve tried to get himself under control. It wasn't as if it was a bad mess or anything close to that. Though it also wasn't up to the other man's usual standards either. Something was wrong.

"What were you making?" Bruce questioned hoping it was a safe subject.

"Shepard's Pie," he offered softly not looking up, "It was my mother's favorite."

"Oh?"

"It's… It's her birthday. I thought that..."

Placing the now clean pot back in its spot he turned to look at the man. Steve always looked young to him, but at that moment in time he looked like a child. One that never should have been involved in the life that he now lead.

"Would you like some help?" Bruce asked moving to stand closer to him.

"What?" Steve questioned his head cocked to the side looking even more like a dog.

"Would you like some help? It's been awhile since I made Shepard's Pie, so you might have to guide me a bit, but I'd love to help if you'd let me."

Blue eyes stared at him for a moment before a shy smile came to his lips. He just looked so innocent and sweet. Something that didn't actually happen all that often. Well, the sweet part did, that was his default state, but innocent was new.

"You don't mind?" Steve asked hopeful, "We'd have to go get more ingredients."

"Not at all," Bruce smiled softly, "Just let me change and I'll met you in the elevator."

"Okay. Thanks, Bruce."

Smiling the man left the kitchen and made his way to his room while shaking his head. He had lied a little to Steve when he said that he had made Shepard's Pie before. As surprising as it was he had never come across it in his travels.

It barely took any time to change out of his pajamas and slip into a pair of jeans and a hoodie. It felt odd to change into something that he wore while he was on the run, but it was better to blend in even now.

There were a lot of people that knew who he was now. Most of them were reporters that held no qualms whatsoever getting into his face. It was as if they wanted him the change into the Other Guy and beat them. Something he barely held back from doing.

Most of them did their best to blend into the background though. It was hard for Tony and Thor, but the others did a much better job. They also didn't enjoy the attention that came with having eyes on them.

That didn't matter though. He was going out to help Steve and that was what he needed to focus on. It was a very freeing feeling to think of someone else's problems. The fact that the other man no longer had that haunted look in his eyes was a bonus.

"Ready?" Steve questioned placing a baseball cap on his head as he walked up.

"Yes," Bruce responded zipping up his own hoodie.

"Wonderful. I thought we'd go to this market I found. It's a little ways away, but the staff is nice."

"I thought you normally went to the farmer's market."

"Usually, but sometimes. I don't need to tell you there's a lot of people there and that people know I go there. Even in disguise there's always a chance of being recognized. I don't want to deal with that today. That's why I found this place. A place no one knows I go to."

"Okay. Lead the way."

With another smile Steve turned and started out of the tower. It was a little odd to know that he was being taken to someplace that the man kept for himself. It was as if they were friend. Which he knew that they were, but it was still strange to have that truly shown to him.

As they walked Bruce let his mind wonder to the man next to him. It was hard to believe that he was Captain America. He didn't come off that way as he moved. It was as if he was just another New Yorker. No one suspected a thing. Though they also didn't suspect he was the Hulk. It was a fine line.

"Thank you for doing this with me, Bruce," Steve started after a moment a smile on his lips, "You probably had better things to do than go shopping with me."

"Not really," he shrugged calmly.

"Right. Of course. I just… I know that you aren't exactly a people person sometimes and you're usually in your lab with Tony so me and the rest of the team don't see you often. I just… I'm glad we were able to do this today. We're here. Maybe, I mean if you wanted to, maybe we can get your mother's favorite too? Have a little mother's appreciation thing?"

Jerking his head up to stare at the super soldier Bruce couldn't help but feel shocked. It was a well known fact in the team that his parents were a taboo subject. Especially after Tony had to replace four floors of R&D because of him.

It had actually been Steve that had figured why he had gone off. He was the one that brought it to everyone's attention. The fact that it was him that was bringing it up was probably the only reason he hadn't gone off yet.

That wasn't to say that he and the Other Guy weren't on high alert. It was just something about Steve being the one that was so carefully trying to bring it up that made him stop and think. He had such a hopeful yet guarded look of his own that Bruce felt himself calming faster than normal.

"Carrot cake," Bruce whispered after a moment his arms wrapping around his chest without thought.

"Carrot cake?" Steve echoed a smile blooming on his lips, "That's one of my favorites too. She had good taste in cakes."

"Yeah, she did. She only made them on her birthday though. If… If she could. But I think- I think she'd like sharing it with your mom."

"My mom would have loved it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist writing another Avengers fic. Of course with Bruce. He's too cute not to write about! Only one more chapter before the end!
> 
> If you want to be kept up to date with any upcoming stories or want to ask me to write a story for you please follow me on Facebook or on Tumblr under SilverMidnight52! I own nothing.

Yawning widely Bruce scrubbed his hand over his face as he made his way into the kitchen. He had just spent that past few hours locked in his room reading some of the scientific journals that he had missed while he was on the run.

It was surprising just how much there was still for him to read up on. He had been at the tower for almost a full month. One would think that he would have done all the things that he had dreamed of doing.

Instead he locked himself in the labs with Tony researching. Not that he regretted what he had been doing, but it was still an odd thought. He had spent so long thinking about what he would do if he ever got the chance to live instead of being hunted. Research wasn't one of them.

If he was honest though the things that he had dreamed of doing were things that he would never actually do. He didn't have that life anymore. He had to make due with what he did have. Which was pretty much only lab work.

Except when he couldn't do that. Then he had reading and… He had no idea how he was supposed to finish that sentence. Shaking his head he looked down at his watch and saw that it was a little past midnight.

His stomach rumbled loudly while he tried to think of the food that were in the kitchen. You'd think that having Shepard's Pie and carrot cake for dinner would fill him up for the night. Especially when they made enough to feed a small army. He was still hungry though.

It was odd to think about his eating habits when he was and was not in the labs. If there was something for him to being doing than he could go days without even thinking about food. It wasn't even close to being a priority.

When he had the time to focus on himself though it was as if he was in a constant state of starvation. That was not one of his favorite feelings, but it was one that he had forced himself to get used to throughout his life.

One of the main reasons that he had done so many jobs while he was on the run was to keep himself from thinking. He'd do almost anything to stop himself from realizing just how hungry he really was.

Throughout his childhood and teen years he had had to deal with not always having enough food for one reason or another. He had gotten used to it all over time, but it still wasn't something he enjoyed dealing with.

Being in the tower meant that he didn't have to think about it. Tony kept the whole place stocked full of food and it was nice. Not that he always partook in eating the food, but it was still nice to know that it was there when he did.

That was a lie. He wasn't sure if he liked knowing that he had more than enough food to eat or not. Not when he knew it wouldn't be too long before he had to walk away from the life that he was now leading to keep himself or someone else safe.

Sighing he shook his head hating where his mind was going. He didn't want to deal with everything that came with over thinking. At the moment in time everything was fine. He had to focus on that or he was going to go down the rabbit hole. That never lead anywhere good.

It was so easy to get lost in his thoughts when there was no one else around though. They all knew each other, but they didn't know each other at the same time. It was a strange relationship that they all had.

If anyone of them were getting stuck in their own head at least one other would be able to see it and pull them back. For him that was usually Tony. It wasn't the best back up plan, but it was all they had at the moment.

When Tony wasn't around him though it was the sounds that came with everyone else that kept him sane. There was almost always sound. The Tower was almost never completely silent. Surprisingly enough that was something that they all preferred.

Nightmares were something that every last one of them had to deal with. Because of that it was almost impossible to walk through the tower at night and not find at least one other person up for the exact same reason.

The fact of the matter was the team was made up broken people that wanted to stop others from ending up like them. At least that was the way that Bruce explained it to himself. It was the only thing that made sense to him.

A sudden loud bang had him jumping his eyes darting around for someone before he found himself chuckling. Of course right as he going on about the silence in the building it was broken. He should have expected that.

"Thor," he greeted walking into the kitchen just as the man slammed another cabinet shut.

"Friend Banner," the Asgardian replied happily though his voice softer than usual, "I did not wake you, did I? Lady Natasha has threatened bodily harm if I wake her up one more time. I do not believe she was joking."

"No, you didn't wake me. I was already up reading when I decided I was hungry."

"As was I. You have fascinating books here. I am currently reading through the tales of Edgar Allan Poe."

"Really? You're reading Edgar Allan Poe?"

"Yes, his stories and poems are darker than I usually enjoy, but the way he weaves his tales together… I cannot put it down. Jarvis recommended I read him after I finished the tales of William Shakespeare. I must admit I enjoy Poe over Shakespeare."

"As do I. Are you going through all the classics?"

"Darcy suggested I do so. There are some things that the majority of people seem to know on this planet. Even the Captain has heard of both writers. I though it was a good place to start learning of your people."

Smiling gently at the other man Bruce nodded his head in agreement. When Thor was in regular clothes, and completely silent, it was easy to forget that he was from another planet. At least it was for everyone else.

For Thor though it must have been difficult. Being on another planet with no one around him like him… Bruce had experienced a little of that when he traveled to places he didn't know anything about.

The need to learn and understand everything he could so he didn't feel like such an outsider was strong. It must have been so much worse for Thor. He didn't have any real kind of understanding when it came to them.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Bruce offered softly before opening the fridge, "Have you found a midnight snack yet?"

"Midnight snack?" Thor questioned shutting another cabinet too hard.

"That's what it's called when you eat when you should be asleep. A midnight snack."

"Ah. I am afraid I have not found a 'midnight snack'. I believe I shall have to go back to my quarters hungry."

"Or… Are you dressed to go out?"

"Yes?"

"Good. Would you like to accompany me to get some food?"

"I do not believe that you have asked me that before. You do not usually leave the tower unless forced, Dr. Banner."

"Bruce, please? And I don't really like it. There are too many people around during the day. It puts me and the Other Guy on edge. It's a bit different at night though."

"Why? There are still many people about."

"There are here. New York is one of the cities that never seems to sleep. But there are less people and the ones that are out usually don't want to be bothered either. Also, I like this time of the day. It's peaceful."

"I see. I shall remember that the next time I wish to partake in a 'midnight snack'. Shall we be off in search of food?"

"We shall."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the end is here! It's cute. It's just cute and I love it.
> 
> If you want to be kept up to date with any upcoming stories or want to ask me to write a story for you please follow me on Facebook or on Tumblr under SilverMidnight52! I own nothing.

Stretching his hands over his head Bruce looked out over the city taking the sight in trying to get in the right frame of mind to meditate. Though he spent almost all of his time keeping himself calm he always found it difficult to actually stop, sit still, and just be.

For the most part his mind just worked too much for that to be something he was naturally good at. It had actually been a joke between him and his cousin, Jennifer, for awhile. He was never any good at being still.

At least he hadn't been. After the accident he had done everything that came to mind to try to stop or control what was happening to him. He finally landed on yoga and meditation. Two things he never thought he'd do.

He had been horrible at first. Every time he tried to sit down and find inner peace all he did was agitate himself. That wasn't all the shocking to him though. Of course, he couldn't sit still and not think. All he did was think.

If it hadn't been for the fact that he had ended up living in places where meditation was a way of life he probably never would have gotten it. He was glad that he did though. He enjoyed the way he could just focus on nothingness and be okay.

Being able to find that kind of peace was something that had worried him when he first moved into the tower. New York was not a quiet place to begin with. The fact that he was used to places where you could hear snakes slithering made it all the worse.

At first he had tried to stay in his room and do his meditation and yoga there. As surprising as it was Tony did not have the rooms soundproof. It probably wouldn't have been a big deal to ask for it, but he didn't want to be a bother.

So he went looking for places throughout the tower. For as big of a building as it was there weren't a lot of places that one could go to be alone and be away from the noise. He had almost given up entirely.

Then he found a spot near the top of the tower. It was on the small side, but it was perfect. Almost every spot was filled with plants or flowers that seemed to be well taken care of. There was even a small clear space in the middle looking out over the city. It was perfect.

It was also obviously someone else's spot. When he had first found it he had actually thought about asking Tony what he knew. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that it seemed like the opposite of what the other man would do.

So he kept it a secret and waited for the whomever created the place to show up. No one ever came. He figured that it wasn't that harmful if no one had noticed that he was using their little safe space.

Because of that he found himself sitting on top of his mat in a pair of loose yoga pants looking out at the skyline just breathing. He wasn't on edge, at least no more than normal, but it had been awhile since he did yoga and was alone with or without his own thoughts.

For a moment all he did was look. He wasn't a fan of being in the actually city, but watching it from a distance was rather nice. Especially since he was too far away to actually see or hear what was going on. It was the best case scenario for him.

Shutting his eyes Bruce took a deep breath a small smile coming to his lips when he smelled the hyacinths that were sitting right next to him. It was such a peaceful and calming scent. Whomever had made this getaway had put thoughts into it. He felt guilty for encroaching on their safe spot.

He felt that at least once every time he was there. A place as nice as the one he was in shouldn't have random people in it. Someone built this for themselves and he should respect that person. That didn't stop him from going there though.

He had barely began his breathing exercise when he heard the door open. His eyes shot open ready to fight whomever had come in though he kept perfectly still. He didn't want to lose control on someone that didn't deserve it.

"Hello, Bruce," a gentle voice spoke, "Do you mind if I join you?"

Letting out a breath he turned around and saw Pepper standing there with a smile on her face. His eyes quickly darted over her before a blush settled on his cheeks. He had seen the woman in many different situations before, but he couldn't believe how she looked right then.

She was dressed similarly to himself in a pair of yoga pants and tank top. It was the most low-key outfit he had ever seen her in. It felt like something that he shouldn't be seeing at all. This was Pepper being completely herself and not the powerful CEO he was used to.

"Is this…?" Bruce tried to start feeling more than a little awkward.

"My little getaway from all that is Stark," Pepper filled in sounding amused as she laid down her own mat next to his, "Tony bought it for me for our anniversary. He just doesn't know it."

"Why do I feel like that's a common theme in your relationship?"

A happy laugh fell from the woman's lips and he couldn't help but be proud of that. She went through so much having to take care of the company and having to deal with Tony. Not to mention everything that came with the rest of them. She deserved to have some happiness.

Feeling out of place he started to stand up wanting to leave her to her peace. He didn't deserve to be there anyway. It wasn't as if the space was for him. He never should have gone in without knowing whose it was.

"Wait," Pepper called out before he could stand fully, "You don't have to leave. I like that you enjoy this place as much as I do. I've always wanted to share it with someone, but I could only think of Tony and we both know he'd drive me insane if he ever came here."

"You don't mind?" he questioned staring at her.

"Bruce, Jarvis told me as soon as you found this place. I told him to keep the door unlocked for you."

A grateful smile came to his lips as he sat back down and situated himself. It was nice knowing that she was okay with him being there. It was nice knowing that she was okay having him in the tower period.

"I thought you'd be back in the labs by now," Pepper said out at the skyline.

"I haven't finished the tasks," Bruce sighed with a shake of his head, "I haven't even started them."

"Bruce, I- I think there's something you need to see."

Blinking a few times he watched the woman stand up and leave the room. She was barely gone more than a minute before she was back and sitting next to him. With a smile on her face she handed him her unlocked phone.

Confusion filled the man as he looked down at the screen. It was easy to see that it was a picture of him, Clint, and Natasha on the couch. He looked like he was fast asleep as he laid against the woman while the other man cuddled against his back.

It took him a second to realize that that was what had happened when he was watching Clint's shows with them. He knew that he had fallen asleep while they did that, but he hadn't really thought all that hard about it.

"According to Jarvis you slept about nine hours that day," Pepper offered with a smile taking the phone back and flipping to show another picture of the three of them, "I might have had him take some pictures."

"Natasha might kill you," Bruce huffed out a laugh.

"It was her idea."

"That still leaves two other things I have to do."

Shaking her head Pepper moved so she was sitting directly in front of her. Even in her workout gear she still looked just as powerful as ever. He never wanted to go up against her. He'd lose in an instant.

"That was a lovely dinner that you and Steve prepared for us," she finally spoke a smile on her lips, "It must have taken you forever to make."

"Not really," he shook his head not noticing the subject change, "The hardest part was getting the food. That took us a few hours. Though we did get a little sidetracked while we shopped."

"A few hours? How long were you shopping for?"

"I don't-"

"Three hours and forty-seven minutes," Jarvis suddenly spoke up making Bruce cock his head to the side.

"Task number two," Pepper smiled knowingly.

Looking down at his hands he thought back on what had happened between he and Steve. He hadn't even noticed what had happened when they were getting the food. It wasn't all that important to him truthfully.

"I didn't think..." Bruce started before trailing off, "The third task?"

"Thor has been going on about how important 'midnight snacks' are," she laughed resting a hand on his knee, "He says he learned that term from you. That you went out to get food last night and he tried a mushroom burger. They weren't bad, but he preferred the beef one more."

Shaking his head Bruce carded a hand through his hair. He hadn't even noticed what was going on around him. It really hadn't mattered to him. He was more concerned about what was going on with the team.

"Bruce, you've done everything," Pepper stated softly, "You really hadn't noticed?"

"No," he shook his head looking up at her, "I hadn't thought about it at all. I did everything? In one day?"

"You beat Tony by a long shot. I think he's still sleeping."

"I'm free to go back to the labs whenever I'd like?"

"Whenever you'd like."

Smiling happily he felt a weight that had been on his shoulders lift off. He really had thought that he was going to spend the rest of the week waiting for it all to be over so he could get back to work. He couldn't believe himself.

Standing up he started to pick up his mat only to stop when he saw Pepper's face. She looked happy for him, but there was something under that. Something that he never wanted to see on her face again.

"Pepper," he started scratching the back of his neck, "Would you… Would you mind if I stayed for awhile?"

"Not at all," Pepper replied smiling brightly, "I was actually thinking of waking up Tony and going to get lunch after this. If you're interested?"

"I'd like that."

"Wonderful. You can help me wake up Tony. I'll let you hit him with a pillow first."


End file.
